Justin Soto

in Fall 2015, Student's Blog, Washington, DC
December 12th, 2015

Shopping Hot Spots in the Capitol

Justin Soto
Fall 2015

While DC isn’t exactly the most fashion forward city in the world, there are still plenty of opportunities to find that special piece for your closet. DC offers it all, from malls like Tyson’s Corner that offer the conventional stores like H&M for thrifty college students to stores that can break the bank like Prada & Chanel all the way to urban lofts converted to storefronts like Zara and Banana Republic in the Metro Center area of Downtown DC. I’m going to rank my top three shopping locations in DC giving you the pros, cons and staple stores that attract hundreds of thousands of shoppers every year.

1. Georgetown – M Street NW

Georgetown is home to some of the trendiest shops, restaurants and attractions around the city. Situated along the Potomac, the city’s rich history spans back to the 1700’s. First and foremost, Georgetown’s M Street has some of the most delicious bakeries and cafes in the city that can accompany your shopping experience. The noteworthy Georgetown Cupcake on 3301 M Street has a line out the door pretty much everyday but I think it’s just because of the hype and recognition it warrants. I prefer instead Sprinkles (3015 M Street) or Baked & Wired (1052 Thomas Jefferson St.) both are not as crowded and have better tasting cupcakes and flavor options. Looking for a trendy pair of glasses? Warby Parker Georgetown (3225 M Street) has amazing frames for great prices. Lastly, Crumbs & Whiskers (3211 O Street) is Washington, DC’s first cat café that gives shelter cats a better life and an opportunity for people to interact with them while they drink coffee and eat snacks, and it is super fun and affordable! The downside is that Georgetown is very inaccessible via Metro, you can Uber but that gets costly, I recommend taking the metro to Foggy Bottom and walking to M Street, it’s about a 15-20 minute walk to M Street from there.

2. Tyson’s Galleria – 2001 International Dr, McLean

Although a bit of a hike, Tyson’s is paradise for those who want to drop some cash and want a beautiful atmosphere to go with it. The galleria includes more familiar stores like J.Crew, Club Monaco, Banana Republic and Anthropologie while alongside premiere brands like Burberry, Chanel & Saint Laurent. The major con is the distance, it’s about a 45 minute to an hour metro ride from Woodley Park where we live but it offers a nice escape and ambiance and stores for everyone’s taste.

3. Metro Center – 607 13 St. NW

A quick three stops on the red line from Woodley Park, Metro Center is your typical urban stop for good deals and familiar brands. The two most popular are H&M (1025 F Street) and Zara (1025 F Street), personally my two favorite stores where I get the best deals and the most selection. There is also an H&M in Farragut North but this one has way better of a selection. Convenient, affordable and familiar, Metro Center is a great place to shop anytime of year.

Justin Soto is a senior studying broadcast journalism and political science and interning with NBC’s Meet the Press.